In today's fast-paced society, it is often times difficult to find time to exercise during the day. In addition, the job force has become increasingly sedentary. Sedentary jobs, such as, for example, desk jobs, provide little or no physical activity during the course of the day. In addition, ordinary household chores, such as, for example, mowing the lawn, that were once a source of physical activity and exercise, have been made less strenuous with the introduction of self-propelled machines.
There exists a need to combine exercise with everyday activities to promote a more active, healthier lifestyle. One representative example of combining exercise with everyday activities is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,817 to Morgan, which is directed to a lawn mower with an exercise computer and display providing the user the ability to monitor heart rate, calories burned, and other vital statistics while mowing the lawn. It is further desirable to increase the intensity of exercise associated with everyday activities.
In addition, current lawn mower designs utilize handle designs that are not conducive to easy turning and control. Generally, turning conventional lawn mowers, especially along sharp curves or at the end of a mowing row requires the user to stop and pivot the lawnmower around its wheels. This not only requires the user to stop but also requires the mower deck to be lifted which can result in unsafe exposure of the cutting blades.